'supporting each other through really tough times'

fuddle

mardatha wrote: »

No time to read back jsut now, but wanted to say we've got nice heavy snow here

Here too :j although I suspect we're the poor relation as it's just very fine. Weather warning for ice tomorrow all day with feels like temps of -4.

I've come down stairs as can't sleep for DH snoring. I'm wrapped up with my cushions to kip on the sofa but now I have a dog snoring :cool:

stiltwalker

Had a lovely meal out - DD and DS went to bed beautifully for my lovely friend and her children and really enjoyed having their bedtime stories of the tiger who came to tea and big bad wolf was good.

Was -5 when DH went to work in the morning - but then he does set off at 5.30, don't think it's got above 0 today - winter seems to have arrived with a vengence!

mcculloch29

Finally caught up a bit and Dragon, what a shock for you. MS is such a variable (if it is that) - a huge hope that they are wrong. Hugs.
Smiley and Bruno - thinking of you both. I often thought of my dog as my 'younger daughter' and I had kids! It's now over twenty years and she is thought about - and very often talked about - every day. Hugs and pats.

I have memories of Edinburgh in December; walking out of a late-opening bookshop in bitter cold to see the Scott Monument's filigree fantasy shape lit and framed against the star-filled dark night sky. Breathtaking.

Softstuff

I figured, for no apparent reason, I'd share the recipe for our dinner tonight:

Spaghetti with pea "pesto"

You cook the spaghetti according to instructions. Reserve a ladleful of cooking water and drain the rest. In a bowl put the ladle of cooking water, about 250g of peas, a handful of nuts (in my case I'm using slivered almonds, since that's what's in the cupboard), a handful of tasty grated cheese, a serious glug of olive oil, salt and pepper. Then blend. Add to cooked pasta and eat more than is good for you.

I've made "pesto" before with many things that are green (broccoli, zucchini, spinach), a few different types of nuts (peanuts are nice and cheap) and with or without garlic. They all taste pretty good.

7_week_wonder

Good morning All,

I'm feeling distinctly more human that I was this time yesterday. We were tucked up in bed before 10pm last night and I took the precaution of putting a couple of extra quilt/throws on the bed including one sideways across the bottom half of the bed. It worked, we were snug as bugs and OH couldn't steal all the duvet!

Instead of snow we had heavy rain last night and now the temperature has dropped so we have ice everywhere. It's going to make this morning's run with the girls interesting.

Plans for the day include doing something with the large pumpkin by colleague donated to me (her kids meant to carve it for Halloween, but stuff got in the way). I'm thinking pumpkin soup and possibly use some in some muffins. All other suggestions gratefully received. Then I have a pavlova cake to make for a party tonight plus some spicy winter fairy cakes and a new Christmas granola bar recipe I want to try. So if nothing else the house should smell warm and Christmassy!

Smileyt, I hope a night's sleep has done the world of good to Bruno and you.

Softstuff - your recipe sounds yummy (as ever) I have copied it into my "I need inspiration" folder.

And I promise I'll take a photo of the Nativity set when I put it up (probably next weekend).

Have a good weekend everyone, stay warm and watch out in the ice and stuff.

ETA: wmf - we had a quick drink at Whighams before heading home last night!

mardatha

Snow turned to rain late on and is now sheet ice.
Gotta question for you toughies, not really sure if this is right place, but I know here I'll get helpful answers How long or often does your fridge/freezer compressor run? This new one seems to be on nearly all the time and the RV is breathing fire. He woke me up at 6AM!! screaming that it was still on and we had used 5 units!! God. I wish I hadn't told him about how to cut down your electric because he's turned into a bloody dictator. So I said I'd ask in here just in case this is faulty but I don't think so. It's not jammed on - does go off but is on a lot more than the old one. Does anybody else notice theirs on a lot of the time?

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

Snow turned to rain late on and is now sheet ice.
Gotta question for you toughies, not really sure if this is right place, but I know here I'll get helpful answers How long or often does your fridge/freezer compressor run? This new one seems to be on nearly all the time and the RV is breathing fire. He woke me up at 6AM!! screaming that it was still on and we had used 5 units!! God. I wish I hadn't told him about how to cut down your electric because he's turned into a bloody dictator. So I said I'd ask in here just in case this is faulty but I don't think so. It's not jammed on - does go off but is on a lot more than the old one. Does anybody else notice theirs on a lot of the time?

Mar, at a guess I would expect the usage to relate to the temperature of the room in which the appliance was operating; i.e. if the room was warmer, the compressor would be running more. But that's just a commonsensical guess, not an expert.

I do now that modern freezers (and fridges) have an optimal range to stand in and shouldn't be situated in unheated outbuildings, unless their technical spec says it's OK for them. So, you can actually harm a normal domestic appliances by having it in an unheated area.

My current freezer (a wee tabletop Zanussi) seemed to be very noisy when I first had it, so much so that I called the warranty people and had someone out in the first week.

It was thoroughly checked out and he explained to me that new environmental regs meant that they have to use different coolants in modern appliances, and these have a side efffect of making them a tad noisier to run. As my kitch opens off my living room, I'm never more than 2-4 meters from the freezer wherever I am in the flat, so am aware of it's little burbles.

It's not majorly noisy but you are aware of it. Mum has a fridge-freezer of the same year and her's tends to make weird noises.

Could you check the instruction booklet which should tell you the kWh consumption per 24 hours (or look it up on the interweb)? If it's really over-using the leccy, you may want to take it up with the place you bought it from, otherwise you have some data to brandish at the RV.

I'm now feeling a little anxious as a colleague was discussing her exasperation with a partner who doesn't seem to understand that switches go off as well as on, and I suggested that maybe an energy saving monitor could help train him.

By gum, hope I haven't started the creation of another monster.........eeeekkkk.

PS, you're allowed to kill people who wake you at 6 am for no good reason, I've just checked.

mardatha

I can't kill him now - he's making my porridge
Brochure says useage 450kw thingies per year - that works out at 8-9 a week but he says its using 5 a day. I need to ignore him and wait a bit and see I think. It's in my kitchen which faces north and is baltic. Last one was noisy, it sounded like a guineapig being tortured. This one has a quiet expensive classy hum. It's American - style big one with twin doors, I got it really cheap because the box was bashed and it has a wee scratch (doesn't show cos it's at the side ). And I got it because it means I don't have to kneel on the floor and grubble about in its drawers like the last one
I notice the RV never gets hysterical about the cost of stuff for his bike!!
Our elect currently runs under a fiver a week. I think he's lsot the plot meself.

Cheapskate

Morning all

Been MIA for a while, but think I'm ready to join in again, if you'll still have me! Will try and catch up, but a lot to go through, so in the meantime, lots of love and hugs to those in need, congrats for any good news.

It's raining here today, no snow in sight thank goodness, had a couple of frosty days and they've given out frost again tonight.

DH and I are going to the food show at the NEC tomorrow, and DS has agreed to have the littlies all day, so we can have a grown-up day out - the first in AGES! There's so much going on here that we desperately need some "us" time to try and feel normal. Tickets weren't too much, hopefully we can find enough free samples that we don't have to buy lunch, but am going to take drinks with us and maybe some fruit.

Hope you're all doing ok, promise to catch up and be back later.

A xo

GreyQueen

Tell him my leccy is £4.50 per week (true) and that's for a tiny flat with a teeny tiny freezer so your use is neglible.

Excellent bargaineering, btw.

Just been out to the recycling bins and there's frozen slush on the top of them, but it's currently raining. Family will be incoming in minutes so I shall be off MSE and Doing Stuff. Don't think we'll be on the allotment until later, or maybe not at all, as it's raining at the mo, quite heavily.

Dead ticked at the phenomena of perfectly dry days like yesterday when I'm in t'office then rain when it's the weekend. Happens far too often to be chance, IMO.

Ach well, you get what you get, and then you get on with it.

Laters, GQ xx